Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1887-01-20
DULL TIMES IN ILLINOIS.
Plenty of Snow.

I acknowledge with pleasure the re-
ceipt of the REGISTER ALMANAC, and
shall value it because it contains a
sketch of Iron county, the birthplace
of all my children. Though myself q
resident of Iron county for less than a
decade it was the scene of many pleas
ant memories. Many times have !
felt disappointed in my main object in
leaving it. ] supposed that if one got
back where free schools had been long
er esta blished the children would have
better chances for an education; but let
me say for the benefit of others, who
may like myself be thinking more OF
their children's future than of their own
immediate pleasure or advantage, that
when they go to older settled portions
of the country and especially where
land is nearly all arabic as il Is here,
they will find themselves too well fenc-
ed in, the schools too much in the
hands of penurious directors, and the
first and highest qualification of teach
ers of country schools is their willing
ness to accept low wages; SO that the
best professional talent is driven away.
Here too rent is high, and it is hard to
get home; and most Of those who
send to school have no. time to attend
to their children, as the drudgery they
are compelled to undergo units them
either for selfimprovement or the i'm
provement of others. 1t is elevating
and honorable to work for living but
like a close observeor cannot
long live in this land of free-schools
without realizing how dishonorahle
and debasing it is to live to work.
Slowly but severely few solid truths
are forcing themselves on parents and
the more thoughtful among the young
SO that in a few years our education
my educate and to better purpose
than the making of "muck-rakes" o
our children.
We have hardly had one good soak
ing rain for more than year. The
early part of our winter was unusually
fine and dry; but since Christmas we
have been under snow and still snow.
ing with steady cold weather, though
the thermometer has marked TO great
degree of cold, with the exception Ol
one morning when it stood, here, at %
below zero.
We have lost quite a number from,
this county by emigrst ton in the las
few months most of them going west
Low prices for farm produce, accumu
lated interest upon mortgaged lands
and other debts, have forced wages st
low and made business so bad that j
became a matter of necessity rather
than choice to move even at the risl
of jumping out of the frying pan int
the fire, and more are watching impa
tiently to get away.
Our legislature is now grinding bu
we are not likely to get much out o
this Iaw-mill. Most of it's members ar
men who frankly acknowledge tha
they have paid but little attention +
political Dr. social science. Several ar
personal friends of your correspondent
and others he has met--and interview
ed, but not one that he knows of can b
looked to with any hope of proposing
a reasonable solution of the question
that are now pressing for an answer
Not only are prices of farm produc
low but the crops were unusually shor
during the past year. Corn is yer,
largely put in rail pens here, but ii
many year since corn pens were a
few and as low. Wheat is now goinl
to market lively in sleds, for, thougl
| the yield was below the average, farm
ers have held it back for higher prices
but desparing of these they are push
| ing it to market while the roads ar
good. People who have been reared il
| Iron county know something ahou
mudholes, but they can brag of no suel
long mutiheies as we have here in th
spring of the year, and it behoove
every man who has hauling to do &c
it done before the frost comes out {
the ground; aud while tits good sleigh
ing, if he can. Every year our road
ARE improved by ditching, drainin
and grading, but we have so much roa
in proportion to population, and sue
an absence of rock, gravel, or oths